Aisvarya and Madhurya

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What is the difference between aisvarya and madhurya? Aisvarya-lila are

displays of opulence that cannot be performed by any human being.

Madhurya-lila are those pastimes that appear human-like, even if there is a

great display of opulence. If there is no opulence, then the activities are

simply mundane. So there may be opulence, but the lila still appears sweet

and human-like, and so it is called madhurya. Whether opulence is clearly

present or not, in madhurya-lila there does not seem to be opulence.

 

In Vraja, Sri Krishna is considered an ordinary cowherd-boy. In Navadvipa,

Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu is considered as an ordinary brahmana's son. No one

could conceive of Him being called `Mahaprabhu' in Navadvipa. Only when He

went to Puri did He begin to be called `Mahaprabhu'. In Navadvipa He sucked

the breast of Sachidevi. He played with the girls who were worshipping

Siva-linga to get a good husband. He also sometimes behaved as a mischievous

student. His lila, therefore, is called madhuryamayi-lila. Someone may

object to this statement, considering that He manifested as Lord

Nrsinghadeva and Lord Varaha in Navadvipa. This is true, but hardly anyone

saw this. Practically all the devotees always thought He was simply

Saci-putra. Only those few who were in the mood of worship, like Murari

Gupta (who is Hanuman) or Srivas Pandit (who is Sri Narada Muni), understood

Him as the Supreme Lord.

 

In Jagannatha Puri, on the other hand, there were so many aisvarya,

`opulent', pastimes, which everyone knew could not be performed by a human

being. For example, when Mahaprabhu jumped in the ocean and was caught in

the fisherman's net, His body became elongated and all His joints were

separated by eight inches. This is an opulence, and this is very deep and

very hard to understand. After Mahaprabhu completed his talks with Ramananda

Raya, He tasted their fruits in Gambhira. Only three-and-one-half persons

were allowed to enter there-Sri Ramananda Raya, Sri Svarupa Damodara, Sikhi

Mahiti, and his sister Srimati Madhavi devi.

 

In Jagannatha Puri no one accepted the names Sacinandana, etc. Everyone

there had a reverential mood towards Mahaprabhu. Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya

realized, "Here is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. I've never seen such

a person.” Sri Caitanya Caritamrta, Mad. 6, 9-13, states that while

examining the body of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Sarvabhauma saw that His

abdomen was not moving and that He was not breathing. Seeing this condition,

he became very anxious. He then took a fine cotton swab and put it before

Mahaprabhu's nostrils. When he saw the cotton move very slightly, he became

hopeful. Sitting beside Mahaprabhu, he thought: "This is a transcendental

ecstatic transformation brought about by love of Krishna.” Upon seeing the

sign of suddipta-sattvika bhava, the Bhattacarya could immediately

understand the transcendental ecstatic transformation in Mahaprabhu's body.

Such a sign could take place only in the bodies of Krishna's eternally

liberated associates like the gopis, and especially in Srimati Radhika. The

Bhattacarya considered, "The uncommon ecstatic symptoms of adhiruddha-bhava

are appearing in the body of Mahaprabhu. This is very wonderful! How are

they possible in the body of a human being?”

 

In Godavari, Caitanya Mahaprabhu manifested his Rasaraja-mahabhava svarupa.

There in Godavari He discussed all tattvas: rasa-tattva, prema-tattva, and

Radha-tattva. But who saw this? Only Ramananda Raya. This manifestation of

Rasaraja-mahabhava was not an ordinary activity. No one else could have

shown Himself as Radha and Krishna. Therefore it is an opulence, aisvarya,

and it is not the highest lila.

 

HIDDEN VRINDAVANA

 

Navadvipa is gupta (hidden) Vrindavana. Although the twelve forests of

Vrindavana are hidden in Navadvipa, they are in a different sequence. Srila

Bhaktivinoda Thakur has described this as acintya, inconceivable. He has

explained that it is the specialty of this Dhama. It is hidden and crooked,

and so it cannot be exactly in the same sequence. This is the nature of

hidden prema.

 

All the Vrindavana pastimes are there in Navadvipa. Govardhana and

Rasa-stali are present in Koladwipa. Krishna is dancing here with the gopis.

One may say that the highest place in Navadwipa is Yogapitha at Mayapur

because that is where Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu appeared. But actually,

Koladwipa is superior. We must consider the siddhanta (the conclusive

truth). Comparing Navadwipa to Vrindavana, Mathura-Gokula is the place where

Krishna appeared. He appeared simultaneously, as Lord Vasudeva in Mathura,

and as a baby in Gokula. But this place in Koladwipa is Govardhana, where

Krishna appeared in His original and most complete form, His kisora form,

His Radha-Krishna yugala form. This is also where rasa-lila, the highest

pastime, took place. It can be concluded, therefore, that this place is so

much higher.

 

It is not that Godavari is the same as Kuruksetra. This comparison is given

because of its display of opulence. When Srimati Radhika first met Krishna

at Kuruksetra, She saw so much opulence: horses, chariots and elephants, and

Krishna was dressed as an opulent prince. Similarly, when Mahaprabhu

manifested His transcendental form as Rasaraja-Mahabhava, this was a great

display of opulence. Another thing was that the great happiness Srimati

Radhika felt by meeting Krishna in Kuruksetra after such a long time was

only momentary. When She realized that Their meeting and relationship could

not be the same as it was in Vrindavana, it became a pathetic scene.

Similarly, the opulent display of Mahaprabhu's Rasaraja Mahabhava form was

only revealed for a moment.

 

 

 

 

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